Heroic Dog Saves Owner Stabbed in Midst of Armed Robbery

A Homestead resident narrowly escaped a serious crime thanks to his personal protection dog. Tim Mullen was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant Saturday night while walking his Belgian Malinois, Yogi, along a local greenbelt.

The incident occurred around 10 p.m. as Mullen passed a pair of men reportedly smoking a pipe near White and Parker Road. Without warning, the two men—both in their 20s—assaulted him, aiming to steal his belongings. “They came out of the dark and hit me in the head,” Mullen recounted.

During the assault, Yogi intervened, biting the attacker responsible for the stabbing. Mullen described the scene, saying, “Yogi did his job biting the one who stabbed me and tried to take my wallet.” As the assailants retreated, Mullen made the difficult decision to call his dog back to prevent further escalation.

Monica Williams, spokesperson for the Maricopa Police Department, confirmed that the attack took place near Scola and Crane in Homestead. She remarked, “The victim reported the suspects fled the scene after the dog came to his defense.” The police have since assigned the case to their criminal investigations unit, with efforts to track down the suspects ongoing.

Mullen provided detailed descriptions of the attackers to the police. One suspect is described as a 5-foot-10 man with a slender build, while the other is a dark-haired Hispanic man, approximately 5-foot-7 and stocky, who suffered dog bite wounds to his left hand and forearm. A third individual was reportedly in a rust-colored car, possibly a Toyota or Honda.

Emergency responders from the Maricopa Fire Department were quick to arrive at the scene. Mullen was taken to the hospital for treatment of his stab wound as well as head trauma from the attack. “It could have been worse,” he reflected, praising his dog’s training for its crucial role during the incident.